Microsoft Confirms Windows 8 For Next Year

The announcement was made at a press conference in Tokyo, and the company said that the operating system will be optimized for tablets and PC's, among other forms.

Steve Ballmer said that the company was hard at work on the next Windows OS even though Windows 7 continues to draw critical acclaim and sales continue to be very strong.

“Windows 7 PCs will sell over 350 million units this year,” he said. “We’ve done a lot in Windows 7 to improve customer satisfaction. We have a brand new user interface. We’ve added touch, and ink, and speech.

“And yet, as we look forward to the next generation of Windows systems, which will come out next year, there’s a whole lot more coming. As we progress through the year, you ought to expect to hear a lot about Windows 8. Windows 8 slates, tablets, PCs, a variety of different form factors.”